Monday, November 28, 2005

Justice and Mercy

Sometimes our anger, no, that is not true, our anger is always, by nature, justified. "We have been wronged" we say and most of the time, so we have. Confession of the sin and calamity of anger/fits of rage is difficult as we always feel we are forced to admit our justice was wrong, our scales were out of wack, as if the problem was that we erred in our appraisal of what that someone said or did. Once we realize that we were correct in our assessment of their perfidy, back we go to our huffy voiced counterclaim, laced with petty or epic angers. Is this you? You will be forever lost in an evil world and your mind made up for you by junior high self absorbtions. The best assumption is that you are entirely correct in the balance of Justice. Now be merciful. Still angry? Don't attempt to confess your justice, confess you lack of mercy. Mercy, like anger, assumes the guilt of the other party. It is Satan who accused the brethren day and night before our God. It is Satan who insisted on justice. It is Christ who has mercy, while we were yet sinners. If you have made Anger the synonym for being on the right side of a moral judgment, thank God that you are not He.
I haven't lost my temper since 1969 but I was speaking with someone this morning who was sidetracked by this.

1 comment:

tmm said...

Mr. Wilson
I found this very corrective and edifying. When I am angry sometimes I set up a false dilemna: hanging on to my anger cause some wronged me, or confessing my anger to God, cause they really didn't wrong me.

Often it is the case that a person really HAS wronged me. But praise God He doesn't hold grudges against me, and I am learning not to pretend like I haven't been wronged, but extend forgiveness because I have been forgiven of a far greater debt than anyone could possibly owe to me.